Cleric - Holy Warrior or Healer?

[Aldarc]

Giving this more thought, I realized that we can frame the OP's premise in a different way that is perhaps more revealing for our discussion. We can say that the primary function of the cleric is to be a holy warrior. This vision of the cleric is certainly the ideal, but it rarely works out this way in practice. We see this by asking a different question: Why are people reluctant to play clerics? Are people reluctant to play a cleric because they do not want to play a holy warrior? Sometimes, this response would be true for those who don't want their characters serving gods or religions, but this response is not as common as others in discussions of clerics. Instead, the most frequent response to the question is a variation of "People do not want to play the healer." While we may envision the primary function of the cleric foremost as a holy warrior, as per the ideal, the frequent reluctance to play clerics* suggests that the healing metafunction takes precedent in practice.

* (I don't care about your exception to the greater observed and document trend. We get it. You and your group are a bunch of special snowflakes.)

 

[CM]

I would like the 5E cleric to be a little more like the Cloistered Cleric variant in Unearthed Arcana, where they are essentially Wisdom-based wizards with a different spell list. But that won't happen, at least not in the core rules.

Isn't this exactly what the 5e priest class is rumored to be? Similar to the 4e Invoker.

 

[Sunseeker]

I think it's unfair to say they're one or the other. Healers can be seen as crusaders against harm, disease and even death. Clerics, like any holy class are integrally both healers and warriors. And I think that it is that choice inherent in the class that makes them so fun and enjoyable to play. Limiting them to one or the other or breaking them into two separate classes makes them feel much less interesting. The ability to pick up a few heals while also bring a striker or even a defender I think makes the class much more furfilling than not.

So, short story: it wouldn't be a cleric without both halves.

 

[Dragonhelm]

What is in your opinion, the primary function of the cleric? A holy warrior who smites his enemies with divine power or a healer?

None of the above?

I think the primary purpose of a cleric is to be the mortal embodiment of a god in the world. He is the champion of his deity, and his role and function can vary depending on the deity.

So, for example, a cleric can be a healer, holy warrior, a seeker of knowledge, a master of the forge, a purveyor of lies, an oracle, a shaman who follows a nature deity, and so on.

Paladins, on the other hand, are the muscle of the gods. Divine champions, holy warriors. And, if what I hear is true, they can also be avengers in 5e.

Cleric should be theme, not class
Then, you can be a holy fighter, a religious rogue or a divine caster.

Well, this might be not bad idea, actually...

I hadn't thought of this before! It makes a certain kind of sense. For example, a cleric of a nature deity could be a druid, a cleric of a god of war could be a fighter, a cleric of a god of magic could be a wizard, and a cleric of a god of music could be a bard.

I'm not sure that this will happen, though, since clerics have been one of the iconic classes of D&D in every edition. Luckily, we have multiclassing.

 

[Zaukrie]

To me, a cleric is a representative of, and evangelist for, the deity he/she worships. I've never understood why the cleric of some deities have healing magic. So, if the question is "healer" or "embodiment of a deity or ideal", then the second one, but I don't think all clerics under that second definition are holy warriors in the way we think of warriors.

 

[Aenghus]

I voted healer because this has been the traditional responsibility of the cleric class. Also, I prefer focussed classes, and while there are character concepts that that are holy warrior without any healing, I think they are better represented by classes that aren't clerics with the closest mechanics that fit.

I think loading every conceivable version of holy warrior on the cleric class is a mistake, as this runs the gamut from heavy armour and swords to pacifist with robes and spells and everything in between.


Paladin is a closer fit to holy warrior to me.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'd also prefer "paladin" be the holy warrior class, but I'd like paladin to not mean dude in heavy armor wielding a giant sword. Every holy warrior should be the epitome of his faith, in terms of fighting, and I'd expect a holy warrior of the god of thieves to be different than that of forests.....so maybe holy warrior is actually a theme, and not a class.....

 

[Ahnehnois]

Definitely not holy warrior. There are some, but that is not the default. I think of the word "cleric" outside of D&D and think of a bookish type, not a fighter.

Healer is more appropriate.

That said, I think clerics have been and should be known to vary tremendously by deity. A cleric of an evil deity is not a healer, nor is a cleric of the god of knowledge or nature or any number of other things.

 

[gyor]

I voted healy cleric, because that has been a key trait of clerics since day 1, but I think thier plans are for a cleric the is both master of healy magic, shields, and maces.

The new division of cleric isn't melee vs. heal.

Its generic healing and smashing turn dead clerics, vs. Specialty Priest gnosis seeking variety loving dominion based Priests.

 

[WheresMyD20]

During combat: Holy Warrior
After combat: Healer